The UNC Heart Failure Research Program

Heart failure remains a very challenging therapeutic area, with many patients still experiencing poor outcomes. Continued research for novel therapeutic approaches is ongoing so that better success can be achieved with patients in the near- and long-term future.

UNC has conducted extensive clinical trial research in heart failure for over 25 years. For patients and their referring physicians, clinical trials allow access to novel investigational trials with potentially promising new treatment options.

Much of the effort at UNC has focused on drug development, with over 100 clinical studies performed to date, including trials addressing agents in all major classes of drugs for heart failure treatment. Extensive networking with investigators, both nationally and internationally, provides access to the most up-to-date knowledge on the care of heart failure and cardiac transplantation patients.

Collaboration with the UNC School of Pharmacy for over two decades has been very positive for our drug development work. The program is well-positioned for ongoing therapeutic research efforts, as we have played a major leadership role in many clinical studies, and have been involved in all aspects of such studies, including design, conduct, analysis, and publication.

Our heart failure research program plays an ongoing role in the coordination of multi-center studies with a focus on translational research and biomarkers, two areas of major emphasis as we work to bring advances from "the bench to the bedside."

Recent efforts at UNC have involved the search for novel agents for the treatment of acute heart failure syndromes. Recruitment is ongoing in RED-HF, a trial designed to test whether darbepoetin therapy improves outcomes in patients with anemia of chronic disease and heart failure. Ongoing research is better defining peripartum cardiomyopathy syndrome. And new studies with our colleagues in cardiothoracic surgery related to transplantation and left ventricular assist devices have further enhanced the clinical research program at UNC.

Physicians

Kirkwood Adams, Jr., MD – Clinical Trials, Pharmocogenomics, Biomarkers
Patricia Chang, MD, MHS – Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, Clinical Trials, Epidemiology
Carla Dupree, MD, PhD – Quality Assurance, Health Outcomes
Brian Jensen, MD – Translational Research
Brett Sheridan, MD – Clinical Trials